It’s February which means one thing…the Open is coming. For those newer to Babylon CrossFit or CrossFit in general, the Open is the first step to qualifying for the CrossFit Games. Now if you just read that and you’re thinking I have no desire to make it to the CrossFit Games, why should I do the Open, welcome to the club. 99%+ of CrossFitters don’t do it as a career and have no intentions of ever turning fitness into their job. However, regardless of whether you’ve been doing CrossFit for a week or a decade everyone should participate in the Open. So now that we’ve established that you, yes you reading this blog right now, are going to do the Open, here’s how we can best prepare beyond repeating an old Open workout every Friday in class at BC through week 1 of the Open.
First off, the 2026 Open is 3 weeks long. If you haven’t been paying attention to our whiteboard briefs (we know who you are) our three nights for Friday Night Lights are 2/27, 3/6, & 3/13. Doors will open at 4PM. Heats begin at 5PM. How many heats we run will be determined by the length of the workouts and the equipment needed for the workouts. CrossFit releases the Open workouts every Thursday of the Open, so Thursdays 2/26, 3/5 & 3/12. Once the workouts are released the coaches will set up the room for Friday Night Lights.
If you’re looking to put your best foot forward and get as high up on the global leaderboard as you can, here are some tips to help you prep over the next few weeks.
1. Practice the skills most likely to show up in the Open. (Disclaimer: We find out what the workouts are at the same time as you, so we can not & will not be held accountable if Dave Castro decides to switch things up.) Historically speaking since its inception in 2011, the movements that have shown up most frequently are:
Some other movements that frequently show up are:
For obvious reasons we haven’t listed every movement that’s ever shown up, but if you want to do your own research to prep for any possible movement look back to old Open workouts on the CrossFit Games website.
2. Familiarize yourself with standards. As coaches we always try to demonstrate and communicate movement standards. At BC we believe it's always best to practice movements to the highest standard. As much as you hate being no repped on wall walks, we hate no repping you on them. If you practice them in workouts to the open standard you won't be shocked by the standard, and won't be discouraged by lack of ability to do so.
3. Have fun. The Open is supposed to be the most fun time of the CrossFit season for affiliates, and too often members let their nerves get in the way of just having fun suffering with friends. Unless you're trying to make it to the CrossFit Games, the open should serve more as a fun community event than a pressure packed test.
As always, feel free to come to coaches with any questions. Make sure you register by copying and pasting the link below. The best time of year is just about here. Let’s crush the Open together!
https://games.crossfit.com/open/registration
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